Paper-cup dispenser



Jan. 7, 1930.

P. R. slMMoNs PAPER CUP DISPENSER Fild June 4, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l lBY I [im Q Jan. 7, 1930. P. R. s|l\nv|o|-|'.`` l @342,371

PAPER cUP DISPENSER Filed June 4. 1926A `3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY5.

Panarea Jan. 7, 193e 'PAUL B. SIMONS, 0F INDIANAPOLIS,

4 INDIANA,r ASSIGNOIBu T0 PARALIOUNT PAPER :PRODUCTS CONTANY, C FINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A (IORPORA'JJIl uren-eur nrsrmrsm Application ledJune 4,

This invention relates to an article dispensin evice.

lF.)lhe chiel:l obj ect of this invention is to construct an articledispenser ofthe general character indicated, whereby the device isauto-vv matically actuatable upon engagement of a member thereof by anarticle receiving 1 holder which permits the operator to retain in onehand an article such as an ice-cream dipper, and in the other hand thearticle holder to receive said article automatically discharged by thedispenser upon engagementof the actuating member thereof by said holder,thereby facilitating the dispensing of the material such as ice-creamand the like.

The chief feature of the invention consists in the nested and enclosedarrangement of the several parts with an exposed actuating meansengageable by an article receiving holder when the latter is positionedto receive an article, but which is formed and movable such that themember or its movement does not interfere with the discharge of anarticle from the dispenser to the article holder. l

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description .and claims:

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the completearticle, parts being broken away and other Fparts being shown in sectionfor clearness. ig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal central sectional viewof the actuating mechanism of the dispenser with the parts in thenormal, holding or down position. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the sameparts in the article ejecting or up position. Fig. 4 is a transversesectional view of the article engaging means and the actuating mechanismtherefor in the normal or articleretaining position, and is taken online 4-4 of Fig. 2 and in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 is asimilar view of the same partsin the ejecting position and `is taken online 5 5 of Fig. 3 and in the'direction of the arrows. -Fig 6 is an endelevation of the actuating mechanism for the .article engaging `'meansin the normal, holding or down position. Fig. 7 'is a view similar to Fi6 and of the sameparts and in the up or article -4 or normal position192e. serial 11o. 113,659.

ejecting position. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic sectional view of thegripping devices and ejectin mechanism showing the same in the osition.Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 s owing the parte inthe intermediateor partial ejecting position. Fig. 10 is a similar view of the sameparts in the fully egected position preparatory to returning to t enormal position". Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of the'modiliedform of actuating mechanism. Fig. 12 is a view similar theretol and of a still further modified form of the lnvention.

- In the drawings 10 indicates a suitable support such as a table orcounter and clampingly mounted thereon by a portion 11 is a base 12having a socket portion 13. Positioned in longitudinal alignmenttherewith and retained by the collar ,14 is a guide 15 in the form of atransparent or glass inverted test tube or case adapted to receive aplurality of tandem arranged articles such as nested cups or dishes 16.Movably mounted onthe base 12 is an actuating member 17 and the sameisengageable by an article holder in the form of a cu holder 18 movableupwardly in longitudina alignment with the socket 13 and casing 15 forreceiving a cu 16 ejected by the mechanism from the soc et.

- Thejecting mechanism comprises a movable actuator 17 on the bracket20,4 in turn4 supported byv base 12. Said bracket 20 includes a stop 21enga eable by an extended ortion 22 of the mova le member 17 shown tuular or hollow and hav- 1ng the opening delinin wall 23, whereby thearticles or cups ejecte described hereinafter, pass through saidactuator. The lever l? terminates 1n an abutment -24;,engaging an arm 25of a lever 26 having bifurcated 'extensions 27 and pivotally supportedat 2S on an upwardl extended arm 29 of the bracket 20. Pivotallysupported at the upper end30 of said arm is another lever 31 having thebifurcated portions 32. 'A spring 33 normally tends to force lever 26 inengagement with the abutment 24 for maintaining the actuating lever 17in the lpwered or' upward position. The free ends of the pivotallysupported at 19l by mechanism to be,

and lever 26 in the Iorinal` bifurcations 27 are connected by links 34to the tree ends of the bifurcations 32 and thus a parallelogram orclosed linkage construction is obtained.' Pivotall)v supported at oneside of the socket 13 on the portion 35 thereof at 36, is a. cam`37having the substantially parallel walls 3S forming a. cam trackwa)vreceiving the roller 39 carried by the pivot 40 concentric with thepivotal connection of link 34 and the adjacent bifurcation 32. The cam37 includes an upward extension 41 or actuating pawl. By reason of theaforesaid arrangement, longitudinal tilting movement of actuating member17 on pivot'19 throughthe parallelogram construction causes lateraltilting movement of. the cam 37 and transverse reciprocatory movement ofthe pawl 41.

Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 7 illustrate the clearance arrangement whereby thenested articles are successively discharged without interference fromthe holding and ejecting. mechanism positioned above the previouslydescribed actuating members.

The holding and releasine` mechanism comprises a pair ofannular seriesof grippers arranged in 'superposed relation. Each member of each seriesis substantially identical and in the upper series said members eachcomprise an inwardly projecting article engaging portion 50 having 'anangular slot 51 therein and a curved extension 52 terminating in apivotal support 53, whereby the, member is supported onthe pivot 54. Anactuating pin 55 positioned in the slot 51 causes inward and outwardmovement of the article engaging member upon its pivotal support. The.lower series is substantially similar tothe upper series. except thatthe shape of the slot is slightl v different and thus the timingactuation is correspondingly different.

The lowermost series is numeral 56, the slot lthereof by the numeral 57,the arcuate extension by the numeral 58 and the pivotal supportiscoaxial with the superposed gripper interposed between said series ofgrippe-rs and has upwardly and downwardlyv projecting pins 55 thereonseatable in the slots 51 and 57.

The ring 60 also has a slot 61 therein receiving the. pawl 41, and thustransverse rcclprocatory movement of said pawl 1s tra nstormed intooscillatory movement coaxial with the-longitudinal movement of thehollow actuating member 17.

Means tor positively ejecting cups from the gripper-s comprisesbiturcated extensions 63 on links 34 and mounted in said extensions isthe pin 64 about which is coiled the s )ring 65 having one end bearingon thebi nrcat-ion and the other end upon a. U-shapcd articleengagingdevice 66 also pivotally snpported by ears 67 on the pivot 64.

The normal position ot tbe gripper-s is diagrammatically illustrated inFig. 8. wherein the lowermost cup 16 is rictionally indicated by the.

50. A plate or ring 60 is retained by the second lower-most cup, the

latter and all the superposed cups being restrained and supported by theuppermost series of grippers 50, the. lowermost series of grippers beingin the retracted position. Immediately above the beaded edge of thelowermost section 16 is the cup engaging portion 66 carried by the arm67. Since upward movement, byreason of cup receiver engagement, of lever17 causes oscillating movement of the plate 60 and lowering movement ofthe ejector 66, through the leverage arrangement, said ejector engagesthe lowermost cup and in opposition to the frietional connectiondischarges or separates the lowermost and second lowermost cups. In theintermediate ejecting position, seel Fig. 9, the lower grippers 56 areprojected into the path of the cups and serve to restrain the. secondlast cup. In the final ejection the last cup is fully separated, seeFig. 10, and the entire` column of cups is supportedfby the lowermostseries of grippers.l Following the return of the mechanism, the ejectingedge 66 rides over the bead and positions itself immediately above thelatter of the lowermost cu The lowermost series of grippers areretracted and the uppermost series are projeeted. into cup engagementleaving the lowermost cup again solely supported by frictionalengagement with the second lowermost cup. The whole column of cups issuccessively lowered the distance of the nesting between cups at eachejection.

A modied form of mechanism, see Fig. 11, includes a lever arrangement ofsubstantially the same character of that previously described, exceptthat the lever 125 pivoted at 128 has the abutment 124 laterallyengageable by the cup holder 18. This, through the linkage 131 and 126having the bifurcations 132 .and 127 respectively, connected by thelinks 134 the first mentioned link eing mounted on the arm 1 29, raisesand lowers the support 163 for the ejector 66. One of `the ejectorsupportsincludes the laterally projecting pivot 140 upon which ismounted the roller 39 receivable by the cam 38 for transferringlongitudinal movement into oscillatory movement, reference being had tothe common Aaxis-of the cup mechanism.

A simplified and modified form of the invention is shown in Fie'. 12,wherein the stand 224 is engageable by the cup support 18. and inlowering or sliding movement thereof the sliding portion 225 carried by.

the bracket 220 raises and lowers the ejector V support 263. One of saidsupports includes a pivot 240 mounting the vroller 39 receivable by thecam 38.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an article dispenser dispensing a. plurality of tandem arrangedarticles, the combination of a plurality of article gripping membersarranged for periphfor successively eral engagement'with an articleforhlding the same, and another plurality of article gripping membersarranged for peripheral engagement of an article, and means di'erentialy operating each plurality of members for causing their peripheralengagement with the article and their release therefrom, said meansincluding an actuating member thruy which the article may pass andpositioned between each plurality of lgripping members and separatingthe same.

2. In combination with means for receiv-l ing and holding an article, amechanism including a hollow actuator pivotally supportedand movable foractuating said means andY through whichv the article may pass whenreleased, a forked lever in article straddling position, anotherforkedjlever similarly po- ;sitioned, and means connecting said leversand saidarticle holding means and the actuator together for operation.

3. In combination with means for receiving and holding an article, amechanism including a movable hollow actuator for rek leasing the sameand through which the Yarticle may ass when released, and aparallelogram li agle construction connecting said actuator to tearticle holding means for such operation.

. In witness whereof, I have hereunto aixed my signature. I

' PAUL-R. SIMMONS.

